


Just For Today, Be My Girlfriend!

by SpiralStorm



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Cute, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-11
Updated: 2015-06-11
Packaged: 2018-04-03 22:48:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4117555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiralStorm/pseuds/SpiralStorm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Teddie makes a bet with Yosuke that he has a girlfriend, and that if he does, he’d spend the whole day with her. The problem? Teddie doesn’t exactly have a girlfriend… yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just For Today, Be My Girlfriend!

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fanfic I wrote on Tumblr a year ago. Due to others suggesting to spread this fanfic out further, I've decided to post the fanfic here. I hope you enjoy.

Junes holds promotions for televised events on a regular basis, but the next one would be huge. The actors for the TV Drama '72 Hours of Eternity' would traveling to certain spots in Japan for a Q&A, autograph session and even photography, where they'll be posing for the cover of the next issue of the local television magazine. Upon hearing about this, Yosuke sighed in agony, expecting himself to feel like a zombie for the upcoming day next week. Some of the workers helped Yosuke in prepping up for the actors' arrival, decorating half of the store. Teddie, while playing around with the kids, glanced over to Yosuke at the food court with his curiosity piqued. Even though he's one for TV, Teddie's never heard of this TV Drama, probably because he falls asleep anytime he watches TV Dramas.

"Uh, Yosuke?" Teddie asked while walking up to him. "What's all this stuff?"

"Huh?" Yosuke hung one of the banners and got down from the stepladder he was on. "Oh, hey Ted. Do me a favor and get the other side of the banner for me? Thanks." Teddie nodded. He took off his bear suit and took the stepladder Yosuke was just on and hung the other side.

"So Yosuke, what is all of this?" Teddie asked as he got down.

"Oh, this? It's the decor for the upcoming promotion we'll be hosting next week. It's for the TV Drama," Yosuke said.

"What's it about?"

"Uh, let's see here..." Yosuke isn't too much of a TV Drama fanatic either, but he did admit, the actor playing the lead female lead was beautiful. "Well, it's about this guy in high school who was struck down with an illness that caused him to go mute. Basically, can't talk. Some of the students hated him for an incident or something, but he has this major crush on his childhood friend and he wants to date her so badly, but you know, being mute doesn't exactly help. Things happen, and next thing you know, the guy literally only has like 3 days to live, so he wants to confess his love before then, but all this crazy stuff happens. It's kinda cliche, but everyone loves it."

"But how is he gonna confess his love before he dies if he can't talk?" Teddie asked clearly interested in it.

"I dunno, but I can bet something cliche happens like, he speaks at the very end of the series and what not. Not really a fan." Yosuke shrugged.

"But it sounds so romantic! How could you not be interested?"

"Because it's kinda boring."

"But doesn't that sounds romantic? On your last dying breath, you confess to the one you love, finally scoring with her, but alas, it does not last because you pass away... Such a tragic love story!" Teddie's eyes watered a bit, but he was still sparkling.

"Uh, no... That's just sad, man!" Yosuke said a bit annoyed. "People are interested in those dramas because of how lovey-dovey the main couple acts together!"

"Are you sure it's not because you still don't have a girlfriend?" Teddie canted his head.

"No way!" Yosuke exclaimed. "I don't want my love life to be some cheezy TV Drama! Besides, it's not like YOU have a girlfriend."

Teddie paused for a moment, pondering on whether or not to play along with the girlfriend thing. He decided, why not? It's not like he's going to get hurt from this. "Well, what if I told you I DO have a girlfriend? How about that?"

"Huh?" Yosuke looked confused. "Get real, Teddie. You? A girlfriend? What kind of girl would date you?"

"The kind that loves me."

"So, you're serious about this?"

"Yep!" Teddie nodded.

"Oh, I see how it is..." Yosuke smirked. "Then why not show me this 'girlfriend' next week? You know, on the day the actors come here?"

"Huh?" Teddie blinked.

"Yeah, you heard me. I'll tell you what, if you really are telling me the truth, I won't force you to help me out that day." Yosuke said, smiling. At first, Teddie's eyes glimmered with joy from the thought of not working so hard on that day, but Yosuke continued. "But if you're lying to me, I'll give you double overtime for the next month! Without pay!"

"W-What!? Huh!?" Teddie winced. "W-Wait, you can't do that!"

"Hey, I'm just suggesting it is all," Yosuke said playfully. "If you wanna do it, you can do it. I'm not forcing you." he winked.

Was that a challenge? Normally Teddie would back down from a challenge that would cause him to do double overtime without pay, but a break from the busiest day next week? He couldn't pass that up. "Okay then! It's a deal! I'll show you my girlfriend next week, then you'll be beary sorry you accused me of lying!" Teddie exclaimed, wagging his finger.

This only amused Yosuke. "All right. Can't want to see you do double overtime next week," he responded. "Now until then, help me put up these banners all around the store."

For the rest of the day, Teddie assisted Yosuke in the decor. His mind couldn't get off of the fact that next week, he needs to show Yosuke his girlfriend, which he doesn't have. Perhaps he didn't think this through... But what if he had one of his friends to pretend to be his girlfriend, he thought? He knows plenty of ravishing ladies, maybe one of them can play along with the charade. Which girl however, he hasn't decided. The thought lingered in his mind the whole day.

After work was done and Yosuke said to meet him home soon, Teddie whipped out his cellphone, scrolling through his contacts for possible candidates. Well, he has to start somewhere, he thought. He decided to call Chie first.

*ring*  
*ring*  
*ring*

"Hello?" A voice answered over the phone.

"Ah! Chie-chan!" Teddie said enthusiastically.

"Teddie? What's up? Did Yosuke hold you back at Junes again?" Chie asked.

"Not this time. Say uh... You promised you'd take me on a date, right?"

"W-What? I never promised anything like that!" Chie shouted over the phone. "Now what's this about a date anyway?"

"Uh, well..." Teddie paused for a moment, then decided to tell the truth. "I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend in front of Yosuke for me! Pleeeaaaaase?"

"W-Wha-" Chie choked a bit. "Why would I ever do that!?"

"Um... because you love me? Hee hee~"

"Forget it, Ted! You totally ruined half of the things we've been through! There's no way I would ever pretend to be your girlfriend! Go ask someone else!" Chie immediately hung up.

That certainly was a violent reaction fron Chie, Teddie thought. It's not like he expected her to play along, but it was still worth a shot nonetheless. Next, Teddie tried calling Yukiko. Since Yukiko must be busy on her own, he decided to try to call the inn and ask for Yukiko.

*ring*  
*ring*

"Hello, this is the Amagi Inn. What can I do for you?" a voice answered over the phone.

"Oh! Hiya! Is uh... Yuki-chan there?"

"One moment please," the voice said. Not a moment later, Yukiko picked up the phone. "Hello? Who is this?" she asked.

"Hey Yuki-chan!" Teddie greeted.

"Oh! Teddie-kun. Is something wrong?" Yukiko responded.

"Oh, uh... Will you pretend to be my girlfriend next week?" Teddie asked sheepishly.

Yukiko sighed. "Can't we give it a rest with that already?"

"No! Wait! It's not like that! We're not really scoring or anything! Just pretend! For one day! Pleeeeaaaaase?"

Yukiko could sense the honesty in his voice. While he did try to peek at her more than once, it's not like he knows any better. Still, even if she did want to... "I'm sorry Teddie, but I'm busy tending to the inn next week. Maybe you could ask someone else to play along." She hung up after saying that.

Another failed attempt. There has to be someone that could play along. He could just ask a random girl to pretend, but Yosuke could see through that no problem. Besides, as charming as the ladies are, he'd rather have a friend to pretend instead. Friends make it easier to play along, and they could have fun with it while they're at it. Who wouldn't want to enjoy the look on Yosuke's face when he's baffled by the fact that two people he knows and care for are going out?

Maybe he's not thinking of the right friends. Someone has to be good at acting and is willing to have fun. With that in mind, Teddie dialed Naoto's cell number, thinking that Naoto would play along in the first place.

*ring*  
*ring*  
*ring*

"The number you have dialed cannot be reached."

Teddie gazed at his phone that just hung up on its own. Naoto wasn't picking up? He tried dialing the number again, and sure enough the phone hung itself up. Was she busy with something? Considering she was what everyone called a 'prodigy' she must be busy with detective things, whatever they were.

There's still another girl he hasn't considered yet.

Teddie quickly dialed in Rise's number and called her cellphone. Unlike the other girls, Rise picked up immediately. "Hello?"

"Ah! Rise-chan! Hiya!" Teddie cheered.

"Hi Teddie!" Rise responded back happily as ever. "What's up?"

"Say uh... Do you mind pretending to be my girlfriend next week for me? Pretty pleeeeaaase?"

For a moment, Rise went silent, not exactly amused by Teddie's proposition. What was he up to now, she thought? "Um... Teddie? Why are you asking me this?" Rise asked.

"I uh... I made a bet with Yosuke that if I had a girlfriend I wouldn't have to work next week during that day," Teddie replied. "But if he finds out I don't have a girlfriend, he's gonna give me double overtime!"

"Why did you agree to do this...?" Rise sighed. "Listen Teddie, you're a sweet guy and I'm sure any girl would love to date you. And as much as I want to see the look on Yosuke-senpai's face, if Senpai saw us together like that, it might come off the wrong way. I'm sorry, but you know I love him."

Teddie also sighed. He expected as much, considering it's their beloved leader she's falling for. "I-It's fine. But I've asked every single girl I know to pretend with me! Who else is there?"

"Hm..." Rise pondered for a bit. "Well, there's still one girl you could try..."

Teddie wondered who she was talking about. "Hold on, who are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Labrys of course!"

"Labby-chan? I dunno... what if she's too busy to hang out with me?" Teddie scratched his head.

"Come on, Teddie! That's so not like you! Have faith in her! I'm sure she'll pull through," Rise assured him. 

"Okay... if you say so."

"Bye Teddie, good luck with Yosuke-senpai!" With that, Rise hung up.

Labrys may be the girl he's looking for. He hasn't seen Labrys since that fateful day in the TV World, so catching up and spending some time with her wouldn't be too bad. Maybe he's going about this all wrong. Instead of telling her, he should just ask her to hang out with him... Like... an actual date... The thought of him actually dating her caused his cheeks to glow crimson red.

Why is it that Teddie gets flustered at the thought of dating Labrys? He's not easily embarrassed, nor would he ever mind scoring with any cute girl he meets. What makes Labrys any different? Maybe it's because she's not human either, or maybe it's something deeper than that. In any case, he tried dialing the number she gave him, but for some reason his hands were trembling. His hands became a bit sweaty, to the point where it could slip off his palms at any time. Keep it together, Teddie thought. He shouldn't feel uneasy from this, have confidence!

Teddie took a deep breath and dialed the number Labrys gave him after the series of events.

*ring*  
*ring*  
*ri-

"Hello?" A voice answered over the phone.

"A-Ah! Labby-chan! Is that you?" Teddie asked.

 

"Huh? Of course it's me. I gave ya my number, right?" Labrys answered.

"That's uh... that's great!" Teddie decided to cut to the chase. "Say, Labby-chan? Um... are you free next week?"

"Next week? Uh, hold on a sec." A moment has passed in silence. Teddie just got rejected about four times now today. It wouldn't come as a surprise if Labrys was busy. A few more seconds passed and Labrys spoke up. "Yeah, I'm free. Why did ya ask?"

"R-Really!? Whoa!" Teddie fumbled and drop the phone.

"Hey, is everythin' all right ova there?" Labrys asked.

Teddie hastily picked up the phone from the ground and brushed off the dirt. "S-Sorry about that, I dropped the phone by accident, hee hee..."

"Um... you okay?"

"Yeah! I'm fine! Totally fine! Why wouldn't I be?" Teddie said sheepishly. Another moment of silence, then Teddie spoke up again. "So um... you uh... um..."

"Hm?" Labrys got curious as to what's going on in Teddie's mind. He doesn't usually act like this, he should be more hyperactive and gloating about how he's handsome and such.

"Uh, you wanna go on a date next week? With me?" Teddie rubbed the back of his head, blushing at the same time.

"A date? You mean, like a play date or...?"

"I mean like a date! You know, those things where a guy and a girl hang out and like, you know... Do stuff people do to show they care about each other. Stuff like that..." Teddie's face became so red anyone could pluck him from a tree and mistake him for fruit.

"Hm..." Labrys contemplated on it for a moment. Teddie gulped, hoping she'd accept the proposition. Then she responded, "Sure, why not? It'll be a lot of fun!"

"H-Huh? Really!?" He cleared his throat to calm himself down. "T-Thank you soooo much! I can't wait for next week!"

"Ha ha ha, just what I expected from my knight," Labrys said merrily. "I'll ask Mitsuru-san to arrange how I'll get there. I'll see you later, okay? Got some stuff ta do."

Teddie nodded. "Of course! I look forward to it!"

Labrys hung up and Teddie sighed deeply in relief. He falls back and sits down on the ground, folding his legs. "Phew, when was the last time I felt that nervous? Labby-chan actually makes me speechless, though I wonder why..."

For the next week, Teddie wouldn't completely concentrate on work. He was too busy day-dreaming about the upcoming date that he'd have with Labrys next week. Not like a pretend date of any sorts, but an actual date that she agreed to. Even though his heart danced with delight, he grew ever so nervous. He's never been on a real date before, and the only knowledge of dates he had were what was seen on TV. Any time he would think about what to do, one of the local employees would snap him back to his senses and assist in getting back to work.

The day before the date would come, Teddie got a text message from Labrys as he was taking a small break before returning to stock inventory.

"I might be a little late tomorrow, but meet me in front of Junes at noon. I promise I'll be there."

The text caused Teddie to jump from his seat, spring to life, and feel invigorated. Right, now wasn't the time for him to slack off now just because his date's tomorrow, he still has to work hard if he wants to take her anywhere special! Yosuke caught wind of the more energetic Teddie. Was he that excited to show him his 'girlfriend', Yosuke thought? Whoever was playing along, Yosuke would see through it no problem.

On the way home with Yosuke, Teddie was humming a merry tune. Yosuke couldn't ignore the vibrance Teddie was glowing, and decided to peer into his thoughts. "You're awfully excited tomorrow. Going to show me this 'girlfriend' of yours?" Yosuke said teasingly.

"Grrr... I'll have you know that I do have a girlfriend! She's the sweetest, kindest, nicest, most alluring girl you'll ever bear witness to!" Teddie proclaimed.

"Dude, three of the things you said were basically the same thing..." Yosuke said in an unamused tone.

"Well, anyway! I'm going to show you! And you'll be beary sorry you ever made that bet with me!" Teddie began sprinting all the way back home.

"Hey, wait!" Yosuke called out, only for Teddie to run too far away for him to slow down. He sighed. "He really is serious about this, isn't he? Well let's see who he's going to show me." Yosuke shook his head and continued to walk at his leisurely pace.

The next day, a few minutes before noon, Teddie, out of his bear suit, paced around the entrance of Junes impatiently waiting for Labrys to show up. He frequently checked his cellphone for the time, hoping she'd get here soon. A large crowd of people are making their way up to the food court for the special event, and he certaintly doesn't want to spend the whole day dealing with that crowd. Yosuke walks out of the elevator to see Teddie still waiting on his girlfriend to show up. "Hey Ted, the Q&A's about to start. Where's your girlfriend?" he asked as he approached him.

Teddie glanced at his cellphone again, then faced Yosuke. "Um... she should be here by now... She did say she was running a little late..."

Yosuke shook his head. "Look, just admit you don't have a girlfriend and help me tend to the customers already. The crowd's really starting to build up."

"But I keep telling you! She's running a little late is all!" Teddie responded a bit angrily.

"Well I don't see her yet! And besides, you never told me who this 'girlfriend' of yours is anyway! What's her name, hu-"

"Sorry I'm late, Teddie-kun!" Yosuke was cut off by the voice of a familiar girl from the entrance of Junes. The two of them turned to the entrance to see an all too familiar mechanical maiden in an easily identifiable uniform.

"Labby-chan! You made it!" Teddie ran up to Labrys and gave her a warming embrace. Yosuke could only blink and stare in utter disbelief.

"Heya Teddie! Told ya I'd make it," Labrys responded, rubbing his head.

Yosuke rubbed his eyes. "Labrys? YOU'RE Teddie's girlfriend? No way- wait, how did you even get here!?" He ran outside and quickly scanned the area only to see a white limousine drive away. Knowing Labrys, that must have been Mitsuru's limousine. "Great, that's the third time I've seen that thing this year. I'm starting to think seeing limos is just another regular sight these days..." Yosuke said. He turned around and looked at the two who were conversing with each other. "Okay okay... So let me get this straight..." Teddie and Labrys glanced over to Yosuke. "Labrys, is your girlfriend, right?"

Teddie nodded. "Yep! She's such a beauty, isn't she?" His eyes sparkled.

"I don't believe this..." Yosuke slapped his face. "Hey, Labrys, are you seriously Teddie's girlfriend?"

"Huh?" Labrys blinked. "Um... I am a girl, and I'm his friend, right? Makes sense that I'd be his girlfriend."

"That's not what I meant!! I-" Yosuke took a deep breath. "Are you two really dating?"

"Of course we are!" Teddie exclaimed as he sparkled. "I asked Labby-chan if we can go on a date today, and here she is!"

"I thought it'd be a lotta fun, ya know?" Labrys smiled.

Right now, Yosuke isn't exactly clear on how he should be feeling... Surprised? Celebratory? Flabbergasted? Or should he feel sad that Teddie actually got a date before he did? No, that's not the mindset I should have, he thought. There's no way Teddie's date is Labrys, right?

... Right?

In any case, knowing Teddie, he wouldn't exactly give up until he proves Yosuke true that Labrys is his girlfriend. He might as well play along. "Okay, whatever. I'll just call up Kanji or something to help me out. You two can enjoy your 'date' or whatever it is you're going to do. Here's a portion of your paycheck, just tell me how everything goes later." Yosuke handed Teddie some spending cash and walked away as he texted Kanji for assistance.

Teddie wiped his forehead of sweat. "Phew! That was nerve-wrecking!" He turned his head to face Labrys. "So, where should we go first?"

"Hey, what did Yosuke-kun mean by the whole 'girlfriend' thing? Aren't I your girlfriend?" Labrys asked.

"Huh? Um..." The sudden question got Teddie flustered. Labrys, his girlfriend? Just the very thought left him speechless. He knew exactly what Yosuke meant, but he's not exactly one to explain quite well. "W-Well, um... Yeah, you are, but uh... What Yosuke meant by that is like uh... It's sorta like a friend, but it's much more than that. It's like a friend you care about a whole lot. Someone you'd want to care for and protect forever, and do things that friends usually wouldn't do. Like kissing! They kiss a lot from what I've seen!"

"Kiss?"

"Yeah! They kiss to show how much they love each other! That's what boyfriends and girlfriends do when they date!"

"Is that so..." Labrys stared at him for a bit. She's not sure if what he's teaching him is genuine or he's tricking her into getting something out of her. Well he doesn't seem like he's asking her to do anything just yet, so she'll trust him on that. "Okay, I gotcha. So where do ya wanna go first?"

"Right! There's some delicious food you gotta try out! Ever had steak skewers befo-" Teddie cut himself off. "Wait... can you eat food?"

"Nah, I can't really 'eat' food. I can feel it in my mouth though. Don't worry, it ain't gonna hurt me or anything." Labrys responded. "But I'll try it anyway."

"Okay, let's go!" Teddie grabbed her hand and dragged her to Souzai Daigaku, even though Labrys was more than willing to go along with him. Still, he insisted on taking her there himself like this, which made Labrys giggle a bit. It didn't take long for them to get there though. When they arrived, Teddie insisted on paying for the two of them, even though she could pay for herself. He ordered two beef skewers for the two of them, one which he immediately began feasting on. "These beef skewers are awesome! No wonder Chie-chan orders them a lot!" he said cheerfully.

Labrys stared at the stick she was handed. Can she really eat this? She took a single bite out of the skewer, and just as she thought, she couldn't exactly taste the flavor on it. However, she could feel the warmth in her mouth slowly going down her throat, or whatever it is that it's going down in. "It feels kinda juicy. Is meat supposed to be like this?" Labrys asked.

"Yep! That's where all the flavor comes from I think!" Teddie nodded.

"You sure seem to know a lot about food."

"Nah, I don't know too much about it. All I know is how it tastes great and how good things would go with it!"

"Doesn't Yosuke-kun teach you anything about the food?"

Teddie paused for a moment and pondered for a bit. He seems quite surprised at the question. "Um... Yosuke only taught me how to do my job, do math, and how to work this cellphone. Oh, but at home he teaches me how to take care of myself, like brushing my teeth and cleaning up and stuff! But now that think about it... Only Yosuke and Sensei taught me anything..."

"Really?" Labrys stared at him with a surprised look. "You mean the others don't teach you anything?"

Teddie shook his head.

"That explains a lot..."

"What about Mitchan and the others? Do they try teaching you anything?"

"Mitsuru-san and the others teach me for the purpose of the Shadow Operatives. Mitsuru-san is mostly my mentor in everything, but Aigis and Yukari-san teaches me about the outside world and how people act, and Akihiko-san says I make a good sparring partner. Fuuka-san's also trying to show me how to cook. It doesn't seem like it's going well, but I dunno."

"Oooh! Fuu-chan knows how to cook? I'd like to try it sometime!" Teddie exclaimed. If Akihiko or Junpei heard that, they'd cringe uncontrollably. "But I wish my friends taught me more about some things..."

Labrys' mind hitched an idea. If no one else is free to be his tutor, then she could take up that role. She can't forget anything she's been taught, and anything she knows can easily be searched up. "Hey, I got an idea. Maybe when I'm not busy, I can call ya and teach ya everything that Mitsuru-san and the others taught me. Your friends look as busy as them, so I don't think they got any time to teach you themselves."

"Really? You'd do that for me?" Teddie's eyes widened.

"Yup! Can't say I'll be a great Sensei like Yu-kun or anything, but I'll do my best."

"Oh wow! That'd be great! Thanks Labby-chan!" He cheered. He looked at the partially-consumed beef skewer Labrys was holding. When she took note of it, she held it out to him and offered the rest. "Here ya go, Teddie-kun. I can't really 'eat' it anyway," Labrys said, smiling. "Thanks for the offer though."

Teddie gently pushed back the skewer. "Just eat it, Labby-chan! Even if you can't actually eat it, it'll make you feel better!" He sparkled.

"If ya say so..." Labrys continued 'eating' the food Teddie insisted on offering. She gulped down the rest of it, or whatever she did to it. "Gotta say, it felt awfully rough."

"That's how meat usually is, I think." Teddie said.

"So, now that we're done eating... Where do you wanna go now?" Labrys asked. Despite Teddie asking her out, he didn't exactly think things through. He tried thinking about the shows he watches when he's home, and most of the shows that have dating usually hang out at clothing stores. Wasn't there that expensive one at Okina City?

"Hey, I know this really fancy clothing store at Okina City. It's a bit far away, but we can make it if we take the train there! Maybe we can find some cute clothes for you to wear," Teddie offered.

"You know where this Okina City is?"

"It should be far up north I think..." As Teddie tried to remember the locatoin, Labrys grabbed Teddie from behind by the hips, which caused Teddie to yelp a bit. "U-Um... W-What are you doing?" Teddie asked in a flustered tone.

"Takin' ya to Okina City," Labrys said nonchalantly.

"Wait, how are you going to take me there like thi-" Teddie was interrupted by Labrys activating her boosters. She began levitating a few centimeters off the ground due to the sheer force blasting through the boosters. "W-Wait! A-Are you sure this is okay!?"

"Don't worry, I've done this once with Kurosawa-san. He was fine, I think." Labrys said reassuringly, which didn't reassure Teddie much. Well, at least they don't have to pay for the train fare. Labrys kicked off the ground and began flying North under Teddie's directions. During the flight, Teddie continually screamed out of... fright? Excitement? Whatever he's feeling right now, it's making him scream.

"A-AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!"

"So Teddie, which way do I go?"

"U-UH, I-I-I THINK YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE LEFT AND- AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!" Teddie screamed. "D-DON'T LET GO! DON'T LET GOOOO!!"

Labrys couldn't help but giggle from Teddie's screaming. He's kinda cute when he screams like that. After about ten minutes of Teddie bursting out the instructions, they finally arrive at Okina City. Labrys de-activated her boosters and landed safe and sound. The people around stare at the two awkwardly, as if they've seen a ghost. Labrys paid no attention. Teddie however, fell down and partially fainted from... whatever just happened.

"You okay Teddie-kun? You don't look so good..." Labrys said concerningly.

Teddie weakly waved his hand. "I'm fiiiiine... Give me a momeeeeent..."

Labrys nodded and gave him a moment to recuperate before she helped him up. Teddie felt a bit topsy, but it didn't take him long before he could stand straight up again. He brushed himself off and smiled. "You okay now?" Labrys asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That was sooooo cool Labby-chan! But beary frightening!" Teddie said, unsure of how to feel. He scanned the area, looking for the aforementioned place and found a store with a sign that said 'Croco Fur'. "Ah! There's the place!" Teddie pointed it out in the distance. He took a hold of Labrys' hand again and guided her to the store. 

The two of them entered the store and was amazed by the huge collection of clothing offered. The store clerk greeted them. "Hi! Welcome to Croco Fur!" she said with a warming tone. "Say, you look like you got style young man. Here to look for some clothes for your girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" Teddie blushed slightly. "Um... yeah! I'm here looking for clothes for both of us!" 

"Oooh, okay. I got a perfect selection for the two of you. Come take a look over here!" The store clerk beckoned them to follow her to the back. Once the store clerk showed them the selection, she made a few recommendations for them to try on and left to tend to other parts of the store.

While Teddie was looking for clothes for Labrys to wear, she spoke up. "I still don't understand this whole dating thing. Why did ya act so nervously when she said I'm your girlfriend?"

"Huh? Um, didn't I explain earlier?"

"Well ya did tell me a girlfriend or boyfriend is someone near and dear and a person you really wanna protect. But I wanna protect everyone, so does that make everyone my boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"No no no no no! It's not like that! I-I wish it was, but it's not like that at all!" Teddie became flustered and waved his hands in denial. "Um... How can I put this...?" He pondered for a moment. "Um... your boyfriend or girlfriend, your special someone... It's someone you wanna be with for the rest of your life. Someone you love a lot. L-Like I said, it's someone you're willing to um... kiss and stuff."

Kissing was brought up again. Why was he so caught up in that, Labrys wondered? "Do people who date really kiss that much?"

"Yep! But um... you don't have to do that. You should save your first kiss for someone you love a whole lot. We can just enjoy our whole entire day together!"

"Okay then." Labrys took a look at the clothes Teddie hand-picked himself and the two of them began trying on the various outfits. After the two of them looked at each others' clothing and choosing which ones to buy, they handed the clothing over to the store clerk for purchase.

"Thank you for shopping at Croco Fur! We hope to see you two cuties again!" The store clerk waved at them as they left the store. With the two of them carrying a bag of clothing, there's not too much left for Teddie to suggest. But there is one place that Teddie wants to show her...

"Hey, Labby-chan? There's this place I gotta show you. You mind if I take you there?" Teddie asked.

Labrys smiled. "Sure, I'll go anywhere with you, Teddie-kun."

He nodded. Labrys suggested flying back, but for many reasons, one of them being they might drop the bags of clothes they just bought, Teddie insisted on taking the train back this time, even if it did eat up their day. During the train ride back, the two of them discussed about what they bought today and also catching up with what everyone was doing. Teddie talked about how everyone was looking forward to a brighter future and that Rise and Naoto were awfully busy doing their jobs to talk with him anymore, but they're still on great terms. Labrys talked about how the Shadow Operatives are still going about their day-to-day lives doing what they do best. She also spoke about the auxiliary branch of the Shadow Operatives, and how she'd love to spend more time with them if they weren't so busy.

They got off the train station and were headed towards the place Teddie insisted on going to: the Samegawa Flood Plain. Labrys marveled at the countryside's sights, thinking about how beautiful the natural areas are with their lush, green fields. They finally arrived at the flood plain, and the two of them stepped close to the water. The sun's setting was at a great angle where the river would faintly glisten.

"Wow... it's beautiful..." Labrys said in a mesmerized tone.

"Yeah, it is isn't it?" Teddie commented. "I wish this day could last forever..." It's such a shame that Labrys was going to leave in an hour. He didn't want her to go so soon, he had such a great time together. If only she could stay with him. He wants to know if she felt the same, so he turned to her and asked, "Do you wish this day could last forever?"

Labrys didn't respond. She continued gazing out at the river.

"... Labby-chan?" Teddie waved at her. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry Teddie-kun. I was thinking about something..." Labrys said softly. The sight of the river reminded her how beautiful the sight of the body of water she saw at Yakushima, even if the river wasn't as large as that ocean. She thought about her original purpose being an anti-shadow suppression weapon, and how much she grew out of her original purpose. A machine meant for killing... no one could ever understand how she felt, at least until she met everyone on that fateful day.

"Teddie?" she turned to him.

"What's wrong, Labby-chan?"

"Oh, nothin'. It's just that... it's kinda funny thinking about it. I was built so I could get rid of shadows, and here I am spending my time with a shadow that did everything he could to protect me. Makes ya laugh, doesn't it?"

Teddie wasn't laughing. "Right... I am just a shadow..." the thought still made Teddie feel somber. "No matter how hard I try to get everyone to like me, even growing this human body inside of me, I'm still just a shadow. I'll never be human like Sensei and the others..."

That's right, Teddie knew exactly how it feels to yearn to be human. To be able to life a normal life, having a bright future, befriending many people, attend school. Labrys yearned for that too. She patted him on the head. "I know exactly how ya feel, Teddie. I wanted to be human too so I could live a normal life. I hated being just a machine and being treated as nothing more than a weapon. I wanted to go to school like everyone else did... But I know I'll never become human..." But that doesn't mean she isn't alive, that she isn't a living being like everyone else. "But I've made a lot of new friends since then. I've been able to enjoy life with Mitsuru-san, Aigis and the others. And I'm glad to have made friends here too." She turned to him and gave him a reassuring smile. "It's just like ya said, we're one of a kind, and we're the best at being who we are."

Teddie chuckled. "You still remember what I said, huh? That's okay. I know I'm not human, but I love being me. And I definitely love being with you, Labby-chan."

Labrys blushed. "Yeah... I really love being with ya too..." What is this she's feeling? It's as if her sensors amplified to another level. Is this what Teddie was talking about? What he was trying to explain? Is this... that kind of love? "But there's still a lot out there that we don't know about. So let's take all the time we need to learn everything there is, even if it's dangerous."

"Yeah, we'll learn everything about this world! More than Sensei or Mitchan or anyone! I also promised you something else, didn't I? No matter what happens, your knight will always be here to protect you!" Teddie proclaimed.

"And don't forget that I'll protect you too," Labrys said jokingly. The two of them shared a laugh. Labrys checked the time and found out it was almost time for Mitsuru to pick her up. "Oh, that's right. Mitsuru-san's coming soon. You wanna walk back with me."

Teddie nodded and smiled brightly. "Of course!"

The two of the walked back to Junes hand in hand, and by the time they got back, they noticed the crowd dispersing around the place. They must have finished up the event they were hosting. Labrys and Teddie made idle chat about their day at the entrance as they waited for that signature limousine to drive up front.

When the limousine arrived, that's when they knew it was time for Labrys to depart. "Oh, looks like Mitsuru-san's here. Sorry I can't stay any longer..."

Teddie frowned. "N-No, it's okay... You got a lot to do after all, I'll call you when I wanna talk with you." Both of them walked outside together. Labrys was about to approach the limo, but not until Teddie shouted at her to wait.

Labrys turned around to see Teddie run up to her. "W-Wait! Will I see you again?"

She nodded. "Of course you will, it's not like I'll always be busy."

Teddie twiddled his fingers, blushing. "N-No, it's not like that... I-I mean..." he felt nervous for some reason. He's never like this except when he's around Labrys. What's going on? "I-I mean, like I wanna do something like today again with you, and I'm not sure if you're able to do this agai- Mm!?"

Teddie was silenced by Labrys grapsing his shoulders and pressing her lips against his, sharing that sweet, tender kiss that he'd chat about non-stop today. Her lips felt surprisingly warm for a robot, and soft like a human's. He closed his eyes to enjoy this everlasting moment, kissing back. Labrys pulled back and smiled while blushing herself. Teddie was left speechless, unable to comprehend what just happened.

"U-Um... I... uh..." Teddie was having a hard time what to say to that.

"Don't worry about it too much. Why wouldn't I see my own boyfriend again?" Labrys said, her cheeks growing red.

He covered his mouth with his face indistinguishable from a fruit yet again. Did she really call him that? Does that mean... they're lovers now? Labrys stepped into the limo and waved at Teddie before closing the door. "Thanks for the date Teddie-kun! We should do this again sometime!" With that final note, Teddie waved at the limousine, also shouting back a farewell, and hope that they'll see each other again like this.

"L-Labby-chan... my girlfriend... W-Wow, that sounds so exciting!" Teddie exclaimed, unable to control himself twirling about.

Yosuke was watching. He watched from Teddie and Labrys walking out of Junes to the limo to Teddie prancing about. He couldn't believe what he bear witnessed to... Labrys really is Teddie girlfriend! "N-No way... You serious...!? That bear got himself a girlfriend after all!? I don't believe this!"

Kanji approached Yosuke from behind, wiping his forehead with a towel from all the work today. "What's up Yosuke-senpai?" He quickly glanced at Teddie dancing and looked back at Yosuke. "You watching Teddie practice his dance moves or something?"

"Oh be quiet, Kanji!" Yosuke's face turned red. He couldn't tell him about what he saw today. Well, he'd find out eventually, but not now. "Besides, when are we ever going to need to dance anyway?" 

"I dunno, maybe we gotta fight some shadows by dancin' or something." Kanji said casually.

"Oh come on, that just sounds ridiculous," Yosuke said in an unamused tone. "When are we ever going to fight shadows by dancing anyway?"


End file.
